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What is stakeholder mapping? How to map stakeholders

by | reviewed 15/06/2024
Stakeholders not happy? Can't get people to work together? Use four simple steps and our proven templates to map your stakeholders. Learn how to analyze them by interest and influence to identify key players, potential saboteurs, advocates and time wasters.
A circular diagram divided into four quadrants. The quadrants are labeled as follows: top left is Engage, in blue, top right is Identify, in red, bottom left is Plan, in purple, and bottom right is Analyse in green. Arrows between quadrants indicate a continuous cycle.
A four-quadrant stakeholder mapping cycle illustrating the steps: Engage,Identify, Plan, and Analyse, indicating a continuous process with arrows between each quadrant.

Why you need to manage your stakeholders

Using the ebook and templates available on this site you can develop detailed plans to manage the most important people on your project - the stakeholders.

If you google reasons projects fail you will find many different opinions on project failure, but all will contain something about communication, people or teams. If you are involved in managing or leading a project it is your responsibility to ensure the project is delivered successfully. It is up to you to deliver the project on time, to budget and to quality. Stakeholder mapping and engagement is crucial to achieving these goals, and it is not surprising that "Effectively engage with stakeholders" is one of the 12 principles of project management in the latest edition of the Project Managment Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).
Identifying, analyzing, and proactively engaging with stakeholders from the start to the end of the project helps to enable success. (PMBOK 7th edn. p. 33)
Need convincing? These case studies reveal the perils of mismanaging your stakeholders.

Project management methodologies and organizations approach stakeholder management in a variety of ways, but there are fundamental principles and processes that can be drawn out. I have distilled these principles into a proven 4 step process that can dramatically improve your chances of success.

Stakeholder mapping in 4 steps

1. Define your stakeholders

Decide who you will count as a stakeholder on your project and learn how to identify them using 6 simple methods.

2. Analyze stakeholders by impact and influence

Often step 1 will result in a long list of stakeholders, this isn't a bad thing. It is better to know about all of the people who could impact your project. In step 2 you will learn the simplest way to identify the stakeholders you need to spend the most time on.

3. Plan communications and reporting

How to identify WIN WIN strategies for managing your high power and high interest stakeholders, and create an effective communications and reporting plan.

4. Engage with your stakeholders

Engaging with your Stakeholders is crucial to the success of your business! Read this comprehensive, step by step guide. Includes recommended reading and links to our templates.
If you manage your stakeholders well, they will actively support you. If you ignore them they will sabotage your project. (stakeholdermap.com)
Use the 4 steps along with the eBook and templates to manage your stakeholders effectively and turn them into project champions!

Our most popular content stakeholder mapping!

Stakeholder Management Templates

Access over 30 templates including: complete examples of stakeholder management and engagement plans.

Stakeholder Matrix examples

The matrix is a simple, but very effective analysis tool and there are many versions. We introduce the 6 key matrices you should use!

Stakeholder Salience

Learn how to use stakeholder salience. The concept of salience was proposed by Ronald K. Mitchell, Bradley R. Agle and Donna J. Wood in an article for The Academy of Management Review in 1997.

Principles of Stakeholder Management

The 7 principles of Stakeholder Management were developed out of four conferences hosted by the Clarkson Centre for Business Ethics & Board Effectiveness between 1993 and 1998. Learn what they are here!

Stakeholder Analysis

Learn the BEST way to conduct a Stakeholders Analysis and download a free template or access all of the tools available with our eBook.

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References

Project Management Institute. (2021). A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide) (7th ed.). Project Management Institute.